Madikizela pours oil on troubled waters
A n agreement seems to have been reached between the George Municipality, Mandela Park residents and the Western Cape Minister of Human Settlements following the violent service delivery protest that caught George by surprise last Wednesday, 20 June. The protest left a trail of destruction along Nelson Mandela Boulevard, from Thembalethu to Borcherds. Three trucks were set alight, paving stones ripped off pavements, traffic lights damaged and ATMs smashed. Minister Donald Grant, Western Cape Minister of Human Settlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela, and senior officials of George Municipality met with the residents of Mandela Park at the All Bricks community hall on Thursday 21 June, where the residents voiced their needs which include services such as water, electricity and sanitation.
According to Madikizela's spokesperson, Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka, it was resolved at the meeting that a study would be conducted in Mandela Park to determine the exact number of shacks in the area.
The number of shacks is unknown, as the settlement has grown rapidly since the area was started.
"This information will assist the municipality to plan properly and distribute enough toilets to the community. The work commenced on Monday 25 June, with the assistance of community leaders.
It was also agreed that electrical transformers will be installed in various areas in this financial year. This includes Mandela Park," said Makoba-Somdaka.
Meanwhile, the Southern Cape ANC
Youth League issued a statement after the protest calling for the resignation of the George mayor, the dissolution of Council and the municipality to be placed under administration. "They have set the Hawks on their own mayor and subsequently
They have set the Hawks on their own mayor and subsequently suspended its top leadership.
suspended its top leadership. The DA has collapsed and as a result, its governance of the municipality has also collapsed, leaving our people in limbo," the statement reads.
During the meeting with Madikizela, the spokesperson of the ANC Youth League in the Southern Cape, Aviwe Mbangu, reiterated this call. Madikizela responded that to recall the mayor is not that simple. "There must be reasonable grounds in terms of the law for this to happen. For example, he must be guilty of not passing the council's budget," he said. "The debate of dissolving the municipal council, I think it's a debate that we can talk of some other time. For now, let us focus on service delivery."
A report-back meeting on the counting of the shacks is expected to take place today, Thursday 28 June.